Beyond action beats in dialogue
Dialogue without anything else on the page feels like a screenplay—all setup for actors who will never arrive. In a film, the actors carry the scene. In your novel, the […]
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Character journey as story structure
Most writers think of story structure as a dry, architectural plot blueprint. Inciting incidents and pinch points and turning points map out the road as the characters stumble through their world, making
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Critique Technique: Make yourself the most useful writer in your writing group
Critical response process turns you into the critique partner every writer wants: someone who offers actionable observations instead of opinionated fixes. Developed by choreographer Liz Lerman for dance and theater
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What writing in isolation really costs
Most writers strive to show up for editing with a complete manuscript, believing that a finished first draft proves they’re serious about writing. But cranking out an entire manuscript without
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Three Strategies for Creating Progressively Escalating Complications
Unputdownable stories keep readers off balance, as one scene tips into another, and another, and the next. Each scene’s challenge demands a response, and each response spirals into fresh complications.
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Why thinking outside the box is hurting your creativity
I’d be a pretty rotten curator of writing craft advice if I didn’t leap at the opportunity to share some writing craft wisdom that kicked my own butt. Amy Stewart’s
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Should you hire a professional beta reader?
Hot take: Professional beta reading is an oxymoron. The core value of beta reading is the reader’s role as a stand-in for your eventual audience—everyday readers who pick up your
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The Writes of Fiction: Teach your story to make it stronger
Remember those “explain it to me like I’m five” moments from school? While I’ve never had to explain fiction plotting to a kindergartener (thank goodness), I often find myself in
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Social media etiquette for authors
In between tales of snowy, uphill treks to school (spoiler #1: I lived in the desert) and drinking out of the garden hose (spoiler #2: I was more of a
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Do you need an NDA or copyright to send your manuscript to an editor?
One of the quickest ways to make an editor, agent, or publisher not want to work with you is to send them an NDA before you’ll discuss the project. Please,
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